Lisa Murkowski

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Assistant Secretary, we have had a conversation in other committees as well, about the budget proposal to shift the Office of Subsistence Management, OSM, from Fish and Wildlife to BIA.

I am glad you heard it directly. I am glad that you were impacted by it.

As you well know we have a public safety issue in the State of Alaska, some have described it as a crisis.

I have already set up a team internally to start looking at how we might address that.

Well, I really appreciate you saying that, because that is what folks are relying on.

It is good to hear the Director speak so highly of the CHAP Program and the benefit that it can provide.

I hope we are able to reconcile that. Let us know if we can be helpful.

I would simply urge the subcommittee here to utilize the terminology that is founded in the law, and the regs.

What I am trying to drill down though, is whether or not there is legally defined reference definitions.

I would like to focus my first round of questions on contract support costs, and the 105[l]s.

It is my hope that we can continue our bipartisan tradition to prioritize the needs of Native communities.

I think we have made upholding the Federal Government's trust responsibility a bipartisan priority, and it needs to continue to be so.

Ensuring adequate funding for PL280 states to address the inequities among Tribal courts remains a top concern of mine.

I think we recognize we not only--we not only need the minerals but we are going to have to do more to promote some efficiencies, and deal with the permitting issues; something that we are all talking about here on a bipartisan basis.

I have expressed some concern, again, about the pace of processing the individual permits.

When I talk to communities in my state, they very much want to take on PFAS, but they are concerned about national regulations, and how they could, potentially, amount to new unfunded mandates.

I think we recognize that there is so much, so much that has to be done in this area.

I am going to continue to be a very zealous advocate for our Alaska Native communities, and in righting this.

I am ready, willing, and able to help secure new authorities in appropriations bills if it is needed.

I think it has to be done at whatever expense necessary.

I think that we can make a real difference for the State of Alaska, and we can make a real difference across the country.

I am going to be up in Fairbanks this weekend, and I can tell you this is going to be a hot, hot, hot topic there.

I think that the Agency has not made this a significant enough priority.

I hope that you and your team will be able to explore ways in which CDS projects can be awarded faster.

By failing to properly certify and test wood heater emissions the EPA has frustrated Congress' investments and intended goals.